Where is this Teerath of the Gurbani located? Baabaa Nanak made it very clear in the outset of the SGGS that this Teerath is located within. And we must go within and cleanse ourselves in this Teerath.

Then why do many (educated and uneducated alike) wander around at the external places called Teerath? Again, according to the Gurbani, these people are Manmukh, deluded by doubt (ਭਰਮਾ ਦੇ ਪੱਟੇ ਹੋਏ), corrupt minded, Mayadhaaree (mammon worshippers), Haumai ridden (egoistic), greedy (who have reduced the Gurbani to a mere mundane business), who are ignorant of the Gurbani’s true Teaching…

In nutshell, those who wander at the external Teerath are mammon worshippers, who have no clue as to what the Gur-Shabad is saying. It’s the hunger for Maya that makes many roam around; for Maya itself is “Dolanee” like wind (“ਡੋਲਨੀ”-that wavers, roams, wanders, ਜੋ ਟਿਕਦੀ ਨਹੀ…).

How can we all realize the Teerath within as commanded by the Gurbani? Again, according to the Gurbani, the True Teerath within can be realized through the Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giaan) cultivated through the earnest Shabad-Vichhar.

Thus, we are time and again told by the Gurbani that all pilgrimages are in the Divine Naam (Gur-Shabad, Hukam, Aatam-Giaan of the Gurbani…), through which one realizes the “sixty-eight” places of pilgrimage within his own Heart by becoming the Gurmukh.

This little story attributed to Bhagat Kabeer Sahib highlights the emptiness of Teerath Yaatraa and ablutions. It goes something like this: A disciple of Bhagat Kabeer Sahib asked his permission for visiting pilgrim places and taking ritual bath in their so-called holy rivers and ponds (Srovars). Kabeer gave his disciple a gourd and asked: “Please bathe this gourd wherever you bathe”. The disciple did exactly that — wherever he bathed in the so-called holy waters of Teerath places, he also bathed the gourd. Upon his returning from the pilgrimage, he gave the gourd back to Bhagat Kabeer Sahib. In turn, Kabeer Sahib handed it over to the cook in charge of the kitchen with the following instructions: “Please cook this gourd and serve it with the next meal to all devotees”. So he did. However, as we know that the gourd is poisonously bitter, no one could eat it. Kabeer wanted to make the point to his deluded and immature student that, as the gourd did not shed its bitterness by bathing at all of the so-called holy places, similarly, the mental filth cannot be washed off by any type of external ablution. This is the Gurbani’s edict. The outer mind is like an oily rag, which can only be cleansed with the Water of the Divine Name within — the Inner bodily Pool or “Sarovar“.

ਨਾਵਣ ਚਲੇ ਤੀਰਥੀ ਮਨਿ ਖੋਟੈ ਤਨਿ ਚੋਰ ॥ ਇਕੁ ਭਾਉ ਲਥੀ ਨਾਤਿਆ ਦੁਇ ਭਾ ਚੜੀਅਸੁ ਹੋਰ ॥ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਧੋਤੀ ਤੂਮੜੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਵਿਸੁ ਨਿਕੋਰ ॥ ਸਾਧ ਭਲੇ ਅਣਨਾਤਿਆ ਚੋਰ ਸਿ ਚੋਰਾ ਚੋਰ ॥੨॥: (Men of) evil mind and thievish bodies (body occupied with thieves like lust, anger, greed, etc.), go to bathe at the pilgrim places. The one part of their body filth (external filth) is washed off by bathing, but they accumulate twice as much of mental filth (pride, etc.). Like a gourd, they may be washed off on the outside, but on the inside, they are still filled with poison (of egoism). A saintly being is blessed, even without such bathing (at pilgrim places – ਤੀਰਥਾਂ ਤੇ), while a thief is a thief, no matter how much he bathes (at pilgrim places – ਤੀਰਥਾਂ ਤੇ) ||2|| (sggs 789).

ਬਹੁ ਤੀਰਥ ਭਵਿਆ ॥ ਤੇਤੋ ਲਵਿਆ ॥ ਬਹੁ ਭੇਖ ਕੀਆ ਦੇਹੀ ਦੁਖੁ ਦੀਆ ॥…: The more one wanders at Teerath the more one talks uselessly (in ego, he goes around telling others that he has visited this Teerath or that Teerath). The more one wears religious robes, the more pain he causes his body. (sggs 467).

According to Hindu belief, there are sixty-eight external places of pilgrimage (Teerath). The Hindu priest-class may have counted them and came up with this number! These so called holy places are marked on the map of India.

To arrive at the ultimate freedom, Hindu Mat requires that a person bathe at sixty-eight holy places.

So, people wander at these places in the hope of arriving at the ultimate freedom!!

However, as revealed in the Gurbani, Baabaa Nanak’s observations of these places are quite different. That is, he found these places to be corrupt.

Why do we even need to go on yathras or specific generates if Guru no is with us, and his Gurbani is within us (should we learn what Gurbani is teaching us and apply it to our lives). Guru ji says Saajanra mera Saajanra, nikat kaloriya mera Saajanra.
If we do believe that God can it be found in a certain place, that just sounds like we are saying that God is only created for a certain spot, or for a certain group of people. This is not the case at all. God created everyone equal, and gave everyone the equal opportunity to learn Gurbani. We cannot have the belief that God only resides in one place.
In Gurbani, Guru ji also states the two places Haramba and Banarse. People go to Banarse thinking that all their wrong doings will be completly be washed off, but Guru no says that is not the case. He says person with good morals, and who is a Gurmukh can go to the city of Haramba and he will stay with God, and nothing can hurt or touch him. In that sense, all the manmade ideas that we have created without logically thinking about them have kept us in darkness. That abroad of darkness can only be removed if we logically understand Gurbani.

Verr Harvinder Singh ji,
I appreciate your understanding of interpretation ofGurbaanee words as per grammatical considerations but the word for “Guru da parsaad” has to be a Noun and the word for “Guru di kirpa naal” has to be A TRANSITIVE.In this context it would be nteresting to understand the grammar of following words in Gurbaanee as

1..PRASAADi………….Matra of Sihari
2.PRASAADEE………Matra of Bihari
3…PARSAAD…….Without any matra
4…PARSAADu……With matra of Aukad with letter D

VEER HARVINDER SINGH Ji
I would like to refer to the contents of your message as
“‘Cause “Gurmat” word here is a feminine word ” Guru di matt” and therefore SIHARI is used here to represent this word as feminine but the pronounciation will still be “Gurmat” and not “Gurmatee”.
I have written Gurmat as Gurmati not as gurmatee
and in view of above consideration what should be the pronunciation for the Word “PRASAADi” which is not a feminine ? Why this is pronounced as Prasaad only leaving the pronunciation rel;ated to matra sihari.

Here, sihari to word “Parsaad” represents a “connection”, also called Preposition” in English.
and called ” Sambandhak” in punjabi.
A sihari with a masculine word almost always represents a connection to the word before it.
For ex. “Gur Parsaad” where “parsaad” has a sihari..means :Guru da parsaad” or “Guru di kirpa naal”

If one thinks that merely by Visiting Harimandir sahib and bathing in “sarovar” will eradicate all their sins,,,,they are just kidding themselves. They could not be any more lost.

Thank you Veer Ji, Well said!
Here is one more very apt verse from the “Sukhmanee” Sahib that we read/hear too often in homes and in Gurdwaras, which essentially indicates that in the remembrance (Simran) of our Mool (Source, Jot…) is the Teerath Ishnaan!!
• ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਸਿਮਰਨਿ ਤੀਰਥ ਇਸਨਾਨੀ ॥: Prabh kai simrani teerath isnaanee (sggs 262).

Veer Tirlochan Singh ji,
We all are Sikh of our GuROO (SGGS ji) .It is the duty of every Sikh to share the messages from Gurbaanee in Gurmati way. I appreciate your positive involvement in this interaction.Thanks for this.

Parkash singh ji,,,
I can see that word “Gurmat” is used with sihari and therefore you are pronouning this as
“Gurmatee”.
BUT This word will still be pronounced as “Gurmat” only.
Why?
‘Cause “Gurmat” word here is a feminine word ” Guru di matt” and therefore SIHARI is used here to represent this word as feminine but the pronounciation will still be “Gurmat” and not “Gurmatee”.

Veer jio,
Both forms of Gurmukh (Mukta -Rahit) and with sihari to the last letter appear in Siri Guru Granth Sahib ji. Mukta Rahit word is Plural-Male-Noun and with sihari it becomes transitive verb (sakarmak kiria) i.e. Akal Purakh’s updesh. It is good to learn from each other, and I believe a ‘Sikh’ is always a learner. I am in a learning process, I would be happy to rectify my own mistakes.

word “Gurmukh” with sihari is still a single-male-noun but Sihari represents a Preposition (Sambandhak) here means relationship between the words “Gur” and “mukh”
Therefore we don’t see any “Aunkarr” under “Gur” R either.
Sihari here represents a Preposition (Sambandhak), so it does 2 things.

1. It steals the “Aunkarr” from under “Gur” R.
2. It changes the meaning of the word to ” Guru de Mukh taun”

And this word will still be pronounced as “Gurmukh” and not “Gurmukhi”.

Veer Tirlochan Singh ji,
This is in context of the word”Gurmukh” .One can observe and verify that the word Gurmukh is mostly with matra of ‘SIHARI” so the word is written as Gurmukh(i) this is a TRANSITIVE NOUN whereas for reference to human/humans is Gurmukh(u)/Gurmukh…A proper Noun
The TRANSITIVE form is always reference. for THe CREATOR GuROO. This is how I understand.

And a business of NO LOSS, I might add!
Those who have made Dharma and the Gurbani a business (ਧੰਧਾ), for them this is a booming business indeed.
The Gurbani puts tremendous emphasis on self-development. But, at the same time, the Gurbani also fearlessly and vigorously tackles the disarrayed system, at every level of the society and beings. The entire Gurbani attests to this fact.
Thank you Bhai Sahib Jio.

The word ‘Gurmukh’ is significantly sacred in a sense being attributed to a devotee. It is very rare to achieve such a state of mind. The assignment title of ‘Gurmukh’ in general to common people like me is totally wrong. I think we should uphold the sanctity of Gurmukh as saintly bliss by God.

Bhai Sahib,
You are the instigator, your efforts are appreciated which brings out knowledge to the readers. Yes, they can benefit provided curiosity is developed in their minds to enrich the latter with shabad-vichar. All are blessed for acquiring elixir taste of SHABAD. It will do good, and that is your reward.

Bhai Sahib jio,
I am sure one day your efforts expounding on Gurbani Shabads will bear invaluable benefit to the readers. Gurbani is unique remedy for salvaging the demoralized characters, it enlightens the dormant state of mind, and re-fills the inner state with joy and hope to achieve what we are all here for. Please keep on working, my appreciation and acknowledgement for your virtuous undertaking for humanity will ever be cherished.

In general community webs appear to be entangled, confused and scarce in expressing the needful righteousness that one ought to. It is difficult but not impossible to participate and serve the community to bring back the humanitarian instincts amongst the public per community expectations. However, it is better still to develop one’s mind. I believe with drop by drop of water one can fill the pitcher, so if individuals with developed minds permeate within the communities the effects will prove more beneficial to the public than getting absorbed oneself into the prevalent system. Time is precious so I would think twice before I do plan any course of action to be taken.

Veer Tirlochan Singh Ji,
I like the very first part of your message .But your point as There are many flaws, one should only concentrate on one’s own development than tackling the disarrayed system. In doing so how much time every individual should be taking for his own development.I think this is a community problem and can be tackled at the community level only.Individual development
is altogether different aspect as individually once developed is certanly being like ODD MAN OUT.

Whether in Gurdwara or elsewhere, if activities are based on principles of advocacy of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, then it is rare to practice ritualistic undertakings. If the purpose of visit to any historical Gurdwara or place is to acquire general awareness, in my opinion it shouldn’t be classified as ‘Tirath Yatra’. We all need to understand exactly the Gurbani verses on Tirath Yatra, what is implied and what it is stopping us from. Please do remember not all Granthies or parcharaks are qualified and competent in furthering the ‘Teachings of the Gurbani’ so obviously majority of people are failing in practice. There are many flaws, one should only concentrate on one’s own development than tackling the disarrayed system.

But very surprising it can be observed that undertaking of TIRATH YATRAS is on the increase.
Most of our Gurdwaraas Commetee themselves announce and make all wonderful arrangments TIRATH YATRAS.I dont think this can be reduced under the existing situations.

Cosmic life is related to materialism which is body oriented and its fulfilment is temporarily satisfying but perishable, alike many activities it may well be ‘Tirath Yatra’. The true purpose of life is never fulfilled by going on ‘Tirath Yatra’ to place to place, it is meaningless, except in terms of general awareness. Spirituality is a way forward and one must believe in Shabad -Guru, read, understand and live a practical life for inner development of the mind than wasting precious time on Tirath Yatra and involving oneself in ritualistic activities.

Parkash singh ji,,,,,,,,,word “shabad” here is used as a metaphor and does not point to any ONE particular word in SGGS ji AS most of the people out there are searching for and completely lost.
‘Shabad” simply means spiritual wisdom, Gurmat chanan, Akal ustat, Akal katha, Gurmat Giaan.
You can treat Entire SGGS ji as “SHABAD”.